The debate over end point royalties and what influences each crops profitability brought me to an interesting result. Historically canola and yellow peas fight over the most profitable crop on my farm. Keep in mind I am a small operator and I only grow 150-200 acres of yellow peas each year, like the straw for my cows. This year was certainly dry with a very challenging fall that ended up yielding surprising results. My peas got hailed just as they were starting to ripen, hail adjuster said 25%, but they still yielded better than my historical averages. With hail insurance included they out grossed my CPS wheat by roughly $40 per acre and as you can guess my yellow peas were the highest grossing and netting crop this year. Second was my CPS wheat, a crop that around the first of October I thought would still be there next spring, flat and covered with snow. Much to my amazement it held a number 2 CPS grade. In third was canola, a bit below average yield combined with lacklustre prices give a disappointing year for canola. To equal the same gross return as the wheat I would need $11.50 per bushel. Fortunately green seed wasn't an issue.
Cereal grain breeders feel farmers need to pay more for research because they feel we will fall behind. I think if we were growing all our crops in a climate controlled greenhouse and everyone's growing conditions were the same this might be true. Canola has by far the highest cost of seed and I assume the most private company investment but this doesn't always improve my bottom line. Can companies develop a wheat that will stand through a foot of snow? The Penhold CPS I grow today does give me higher protein and seems to sprout less standing than my previous favourite Foremost but Foremost will still out yield it by 10 bushels per acre any time. I am not sure in the end it improved my profit. When it comes right down to it Mother Nature really decides what we get and I am still not convinced increasing the cost of farm saved seed will help my bottom line!
Cereal grain breeders feel farmers need to pay more for research because they feel we will fall behind. I think if we were growing all our crops in a climate controlled greenhouse and everyone's growing conditions were the same this might be true. Canola has by far the highest cost of seed and I assume the most private company investment but this doesn't always improve my bottom line. Can companies develop a wheat that will stand through a foot of snow? The Penhold CPS I grow today does give me higher protein and seems to sprout less standing than my previous favourite Foremost but Foremost will still out yield it by 10 bushels per acre any time. I am not sure in the end it improved my profit. When it comes right down to it Mother Nature really decides what we get and I am still not convinced increasing the cost of farm saved seed will help my bottom line!
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